Jan 24, 2025 | Current Affairs for UPSC, State PCS & other Govt. Exams

The International Day of Education was observed on January 24, with the theme: "AI and Education: Preserving Human Agency in a World of Automation."

National Girl Child Day 2025 is observed annually in India on January 24.

The Neutral Expert (NE) appointed under the terms of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), 1960, determined that he is "competent (सक्षम)" to resolve differences between India and Pakistan regarding the design of hydroelectric projects built on the Indus Treaty rivers.

In September 2024, India announced that there would be no further meetings of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC), composed of representatives from both countries, until the IWT was renegotiated. The last meeting was held in Delhi in May 2022.

The dispute resolution mechanism outlined under the IWT — as interpreted by India — stipulates that disputes must first attempt to be resolved by the PIC. If the PIC fails, the matter is to be referred to the World Bank-appointed Neutral Expert. If this too proves unsuccessful, the dispute would then be decided by a Court of Arbitration.

However, while India maintains that each step must be fully exhausted before moving on to the next, Pakistan has proceeded without waiting for India’s concurrence.

Initially, both countries appeared to agree on the World Bank appointing a Neutral Expert, but in 2016, Pakistan requested a Court of Arbitration. The World Bank initially ruled that having both a Neutral Expert and a Court of Arbitration simultaneously could lead to “contradictory outcomes.” However, in 2022, it facilitated the establishment of both a Neutral Expert and a chairman for the Court of Arbitration. India has refused to attend the Court of Arbitration proceedings at The Hague, arguing that the treaty does not permit parallel dispute mechanisms. Conversely, Pakistan maintains that it is acting within the treaty's framework.

While the NE is authorized under the treaty to decide on technical disputes, this does not invalidate the existing Court of Arbitration.

In the coming days, Mr. Lino, the World Bank-appointed NE, is expected to hear arguments from both India and Pakistan and decide whether the design parameters of the Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects comply with the IWT.

The treaty, which divided the six Himalayan rivers between India and Pakistan, grants India unrestricted use of the three eastern tributaries of the Indus River (Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi) while allocating the western tributaries (Indus or Sindhu, Jhelum, and Chenab) to Pakistan.

Pakistan first raised objections to India’s construction of the 330 MW Kishenganga hydroelectric project on the Jhelum River in 2006, and subsequently to plans for the 850 MW Ratle Hydroelectric Project on the Chenab River. India and Pakistan continue to differ on whether the technical details of these hydroelectric projects conform to the treaty, given that the Jhelum and Chenab are part of the “western tributaries.”

The 55th World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting commenced in Davos, Switzerland, with the presentation of the prestigious Crystal Awards to three distinguished individuals: David Beckham (UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador), Diane von Furstenberg (fashion designer), and Riken Yamamoto (architect).

India celebrates its 15th National Voters' Day (NVD) on January 25, 2025, under the theme "Nothing Like Voting, I Vote for Sure."

India has been ranked as the 4th most powerful military in the world, following the United States of America, Russia, and China, according to the Global Firepower Index 2025.

Bhutan was ranked at the bottom of the index, in 145th position. Pakistan dropped to the 12th position in the 2025 rankings.

The index does not include a country's nuclear weapon capabilities but focuses solely on conventional military capabilities.

India was ranked number 1 globally in terms of the population reaching military age annually.

However, India was ranked 145th worldwide in terms of helicopter carrier strength and mine warfare capability at sea.

A federal judge in Seattle has temporarily blocked an executive order by President Donald Trump that aimed to curtail birthright citizenship in the United States.

The order, signed by Trump on his first day back in office, directs federal agencies to deny citizenship to children born in the US if neither parent is a citizen or a legal permanent resident.

The ruling came after four Democratic-led states — Washington, Arizona, Illinois, and Oregon — filed suit, arguing that the order violated the 14th Amendment’s Citizenship Clause, which guarantees citizenship to anyone born on US soil, regardless of their parents’ immigration status.

The debate over birthright citizenship centers on the 14th Amendment, adopted in 1868 following the Civil War. It guarantees citizenship to all individuals born in the United States. The amendment was a response to the Dred Scott decision of 1857, which denied citizenship to enslaved Black people and their descendants. Since then, the Citizenship Clause has been interpreted to include all children born in the US, even to non-citizen parents.

The Supreme Court cemented this interpretation 127 years ago, ruling in United States v. Wong Kim Ark that children born in the US to non-citizen parents are entitled to citizenship.

The administration argues that birthright citizenship incentivizes illegal immigration and places a strain on public resources.

The 5th edition of the Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG) 2025 was inaugurated at the NDS Stadium in Leh, Ladakh. The first phase, hosted by the Union Territory of Ladakh, will run from January 23 to January 27, 2025, while the second phase, focusing on snow games, will be held in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir from February 22 to February 25, 2025. A total of 19 teams, representing States, Union Territories, and institutional outfits like the Army and ITBP, are competing in the Games.